The meaning of Christmas
by Danni1989
Summary: Written for the A2A holiday fic exchange on LJ. Elena plans on skipping Christmas but Damon won't let her. He takes her out and shows her that the holidays can still mean something even after everything she lost.


Thank you Kitty, for making this perfect as always. This girl is a miracle worker, seriously. This was written for the A2A Holiday exchange on Livejournal for a prompt written by Jaybunzyo.

Prompt: Elena's lost the meaning of Christmas. She refuses to celebrate because of everyone she's lost... including herself. But through a series of adventures, Damon helps her remember exactly why Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Any rating is perfectly fine, but happy Delena is a must!

* * *

"What do you mean you're not celebrating Christmas this year? You can't just boycott Christmas." Jeremy exclaimed after being told by his sister that she wasn't celebrating.

"I'm just not celebrating. End of story." She retorted from her bed on Christmas Eve.

"Caroline is throwing a big Christmas dinner, you have to be there." Jeremy argued.

"I'm not going Jer. Just leave it." Elena demanded.

"I am not going to let you sit here alone on Christmas Eve, Lena. Go get dressed and come with me." Jeremy commanded.

"No, I don't want to celebrate. There is nothing to celebrate anyway." Elena muttered.

"Sure there is, we're all alive." Jeremy offered.

"We're all alive?" Elena scoffed. "What about mom and dad, Jenna and Ric, me? I'm not alive Jeremy. I don't even know

who I am anymore."

"Please Elena, I hate the idea of you spending Christmas Eve alone." Jeremy pleaded.

"No, just to the party Jer. Tell Caroline I'm not coming, tell her I just want to be alone. Please?" She begged.

"Fine. You can have it your way." Jeremy said unhappily.

"Thank you. Have fun tonight." Elena said sinking down into her pillows and pressing her eyes tightly shut.

* * *

Instead of going straight to the Lockwood house where Caroline was holding the dinner, Jeremy drove to the Boarding House first. He banged on the door a few times before a very annoyed Damon opened the door.

"Oh, Little Gilbert, what do I owe this pleasure?" Damon asked sarcasm oozing out of every word.

"I need you to do me a favour." Jeremy muttered before Damon could shut the door in his face.

"You see Gilbert, I'm not in a favour granting mood right now." Damon shrugged.

"Why not? Is your bourbon not treating you nice tonight?" Jeremy asked scathingly.

"Well... what do you want Gilbert?" Damon asked surprised at Jeremy's tone.

"I need some help with Elena." Jeremy admitted. Damon's entire stance changed at the mention of Elena's name.

"What's wrong with Elena?" He asked officially worried.

"She refuses to celebrate Christmas. She just plans on spending the entire holiday at home in bed. That's not right." Jeremy explained.

"Do you blame her though? Something's got to give eventually, that girl has been through so much shit in the past couple

years." Damon pointed out.

"I know that, but I'm worried about her. Can you keep her company tonight? Maybe get her to do something. I hate the idea of her skipping Christmas." Jeremy almost begged.

"Fine, I guess I'll vamp-sit tonight. It's not like I have anything better to do." Damon sighed.

"Thank you Damon. You know, she's actually lucky to have you." Jeremy said surprised.

"You sound shocked." Damon muttered.

"I am. You're not nearly as much of a dick when it involves her." Jeremy said unapologetically. Damon didn't respond, instead he walked back into the house and shrugged into his leather jacket. He grabbed his keys and left the house.

"You go to your little dinner party with the blonde Christmas Nazi and I will make your sister like Christmas again." Damon told Jeremy.

"How do you plan on doing that?" Jeremy asked curiously.

"I never disclose my plans." Damon remarked cryptically as he climbed into his Camaro and pulled away from the house.

* * *

The house was completely dark when he pulled up, and he idly hoped that she hadn't decided to go off on a depressed vamp Christmas killing spree. He walked inside and up the stairs. He opened her door, his eyes completely adjusted to the dark.

"GO away." Elena shouted when he turned on the light.

"You have to get up. It's Christmas, we should be celebrating." Damon ordered pulling the thick quilt off her body.

"Screw off Damon. I have nothing to celebrate." Elena shouted yanking the blanket back into place.

"We'll either do this the easy way or the hard way Elena. Either way you're getting dressed and coming out with me." He told her darkly.

"Why are you doing this?" She whined.

"Your brother happens to be worried about you. He's worried enough that he came to my house to retrieve me, knowing that I'm the only one that can get through to you." He told her.

"Where are you taking me? You're not taking me to Caroline's party are you? I don't think I have the stomach for that." She admitted.

"No, I am not taking you to Caroline's party, I don't have the stomach for it either. We are going to show you the meaning of Christmas and you're going to enjoy it. Go get dressed." He ordered. With a sigh Elena rolled out of bed and very slowly walked over to her closet.

"Can you leave so I can change?" She asked.

"Nope, you can either change in front of me or in the bathroom. You're choice. I'm not giving you the chance to bow out and go back to bed." He told her.

"Jackass." She muttered under her breath as she walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

"I heard that." He called after her. She bit her tongue to stop another acidic comment to fall from her lips. He was just trying to help no matter how annoying it was.

When she came out a few minutes later she was wearing a too big sweater that he had never seen before and a pair of jeans. He assumed the sweater belonged to Matt at some point and she never gave it back. She had pulled her hair back and wasn't wearing any makeup.

"You couldn't put any effort into your appearance?" He questioned.

"Why should I? I'm the one being forced out of the house." She argued.

"Not even for me? Fine. Let's just go. You know, I don't think I like you much when you're like this." He stated as they started walking.

"I don't like you either right now." She muttered as they walked out of her room.

She reluctantly climbed into his car when he opened the door.

"Where are we going?" She demanded.

"First we're going to see the Christmas tree in the square." He told her as he started driving in that direction.

"I've seen the stupid tree every single year Damon." Elena sighed.

"It doesn't matter, besides it looks completely different when you're a vampire." He promised her.

"Fine." Elena sighed.

"It doesn't matter that you agree Elena. Either way we're doing what I say tonight." Damon told her. She didn't respond, she just sat silently in the car as he drove towards the main square. When they arrived there were countless other families standing around a massive Christmas Tree waiting for the lights to turn on. It was a tradition of sorts in the good town of Mystic Falls. Most of the citizens would come and stand around the tree waiting for a distinguished guest to turn the lights on signalling that Christmas had officially arrived.

"It is quite pretty." Elena allowed as she stood beside Damon.

"Mhm." He shrugged non-committal attitude shining through. Together they watched the oldest living citizen of Mystic Falls walk to the front of the group and say a couple words before plugging the tree in, making it light up brilliantly. When the crowd started dispersing Elena turned to Damon. "Now what?" She questioned.

"Now we are going to have Christmas Eve dinner, but since neither of us thought we would be doing this, we are going to the Grill." Damon said leading her back to the car.

"Classy. Christmas Eve dinner at the Grill." Elena scoffed.

"Like you had a better idea. You're the one who planned on spending Christmas holed up in your room all alone." Damon responded.

"I'm sure your night was much more fun-filled." Elena retorted.

"Actually it was, I was planning on staying in with a few good bottles of bourbon." Damon told her.

"That's a pretty pathetic Christmas too." Elena told him.

"Not as bad as yours, but let's ignore that for now and just go have turkey with all the fixings." Damon said as he navigated the snowy roads towards the Grill.

"For the record though Damon, I'm glad it's you I'm spending tonight with. Even though it was forced. There's no one I would rather be with." She admitted.

"That's good, you're not entirely terrible company either." He said grinning at her.

"I'll try to be better for the rest of the night. It's not your fault I'm in this mood." She promised.

"I understand why you are. If you remember, I wasn't the most willing of new vamps either." He told her.

"You understand me so much more than anyone else." She confessed. He didn't respond instead he parked the car in front of the Grill and got out. Elena followed him and tentatively took his hand as they walked into the Grill.

Once they were seated Matt came by and took their order for Christmas dinner.

"You're not at Caroline's party either?" Elena asked.

"Nope, I'm stuck here. Speaking of which why are you here?" Matt asked.

"Damon rescued me from a night of brooding." Elena admitted.

"That's good." Matt agreed.

"He's trying to show me his version of the meaning of Christmas." Elena told him.

"My version of the meaning of Christmas is probably not the same as everyone elses. Most people have families that they actually like." Damon told him.

"Well good luck with that. The turkey here is actually quite good tonight if I do say so myself." Matt said.

"That's good, shitty turkey would make this harder than it needs to be." Damon muttered.

"Yeah. I'll be back with your drinks." Matt said walking away.

"So what's next?" Elena asked.

"We go get hot chocolate and walk around town looking at the lights on the houses." Damon said mentally cringing at actually doing that.

"We're actually doing that?" Elena asked her eyes lighting up.

"Why, you actually want to?" He asked shocked.

"Yes! That was my favourite part of Christmas Eve since I was a child." Elena exclaimed smiling.

"It's so cliché. It's why there are no lights on the boarding house, I don't want people stopping and gawking." Damon muttered.

"People stop and gawk anyways Damon. Mostly because the house is so dark and gloomy all year round. People would probably stop gawking if it looked like someone lived there." Elena suggested.

"No, then people would gawk because it looked different than it did last time they stopped and stared." Damon corrected her.

"Either way. But thanks for this Damon. I know I was stubborn when you forced me out of the house, but as usual you were right." She thanked him.

"Say that last part again." He insisted with a smile on his face.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Elena said shaking her head.

"Oh yes you do. Come on Elena, say it." Damon insisted, the grin on his face getting broader.

"As usual you were right." She whispered.

"I didn't quite catch that, what was that?" He asked.

"As usual you were right!" She said louder than she should have.

"Now now Elena, there is no reason to yell." Damon murmured shaking his finger at her. Elena's face transformed into a smile and she shook her head.

"That was actually quite good." Damon said patting his flat stomach after they finished eating.

"It was delicious. Can we leave now?" Elena asked.

"Yeah yeah, patience." Damon said standing up and tossing a couple bills onto the table.

"Please I want to go look at Christmas lights." She urged.

"Alright, let's go." He said as he laid his hand on the small of her back, pushing her out the door. Damon parked the car at the beginning of a street and they walked hand in hand. The cups of convenience store hot chocolate in their hands.

"This would be much better with bourbon in it." Damon remarked as he took a sip of the chocolaty drink.

"Not everything needs booze Damon." Elena argued.

"Not everything no, but most things for sure." Damon argued back.

"Not hot chocolate though. Hot chocolate is perfect the way it is." Elena told him.

"Let's just agree to disagree shall we?" Damon asked.

"We shall, even though I know I'm right and I know you're wrong." Elena smirked.

"I'm going to be the mature one in this situation and not start up this game you seem so eager to play." Damon said shaking her head. She stuck her tongue out at him and he smiled.

"Let's just keep walking, there's more lights to see." He told her throwing his arm over her shoulder. She nestled into his side and walked completely in sync with him.

"Everyone around us is going to think we're a couple.." Elena murmured after a few seconds of silent walking.

"I'm sure they are, too bad that's not the case." Damon responded.

"I wonder how we look to them." Elena whispered.

"What do you mean?" Damon asked somewhat confused.

"I mean do we look different? You and I know that we are completely different from the rest of them, but do they see those differences? Do we look like any other couple in love, or do they see what we really are?" She asked uncertain.

"I think they two young people enjoying a walk, while looking at Christmas lights." Damon told her.

"That's what I hoped they would see. I like knowing that to someone in this world I can be normal." Elena murmured.

"Elena Gilbert you will never be normal." Damon responded stopping their walk.

"I know, there is too much supernatural crap in my world for me to ever me normal." Elena said deflated.

"No, Elena you will never be normal because you have never been an ordinary woman, regardless of you being a doppelganger, you have always been extraordinary. I've never met anyone like you." Damon corrected her. The sad defeated look on her face immediately went away, replaced by a breathtaking smile.

"Only you think that, but I'll take it." She said snuggling into his side again. She laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his waist. She sighed contentedly as she took a sip of her hot chocolate and continued walking down the street.

"Did I at least make your Christmas Eve tolerable?" Damon asked when he pulled up in front of her house a couple hours later.

"You did more than make it tolerable Damon. I loved every part of tonight. I'm glad you forced me to come with you." Elena admitted.

"That's good. So does that mean that it beat sitting in your room and sulking?" He asked.

"Most definitely. Do you want to walk me to my door?" She asked not quite ready to say goodnight yet.

"If you want me to." He replied.

"I want you to." Elena affirmed. He got out of the car and met her on the sidewalk as he walked slowly up the front walk to her door.

"Well goodnight." Damon said not seeing the point in walking her to her door. She was a vampire; nothing should be able to sneak up on her. Besides it was Christmas, even villains took Christmas off. She took him by surprise by kissing him. They kissed tenderly, lips moved against each other and tongues met. Elena tangled her hands through his hair and held his face close to hers.

"What was that for?" He asked.

"For tonight. Do you want to come inside?" She asked.

"I shouldn't. I don't want to push this any further than it's already gone. That wasn't my intention for tonight." Damon murmured.

"Please, there's still plenty of time left before Jeremy gets home, he'll be out late. I don't want to be alone, and I want to continue what I just started with you." Elena begged.

"Don't start something that you're not willing to finish." Damon warned her.

"I'm willing. I'm ready Damon. I mean, what's holding me back? You demonstrated tonight that you're the only one who cares enough. You rescued me from myself tonight and that means more than you will ever know. You gave up on an uninterrupted night of drinking your beloved bourbon to make sure I had a good Christmas Eve. You're the only one who has ever done something like that. You always do that for me, not just when I want it, but when I need it and don't want it." Elena whispered passionately.

"I'm sure Stefan would have." Damon argued.

"Is he here right now? I'm sure Jeremy told him about my wanting to skip Christmas. But he's not here, you are." Elena pointed out. "You know that if Stefan truly cared that much, he would have come over here regardless of you being here."

"I know." Damon sighed.

"So come inside." Elena urged.

"Okay." Damon gave in. She shivered as he brushed past her intentionally taking his hand as she led him upstairs to her room.

"Will you make tonight the best Christmas ever for me?" She asked hopefully.

"What do you need?" He asked.

"You." She answered before kissing him softly. Her hands lay softly on his chest as she kissed him softer than he had ever been kissed before.

"You have to be sure about this. If we do this, there is no going back." He warned her.

"I'm sure. I'm completely 100% sure about this. I've been fighting it for so long, too long." Elena insisted.

"Yes." He surrendered. He bent down and kissed her again, she could taste his total surrender in the way his lips worked hers. He expertly licked into her mouth, if he wasn't careful he was going to make her come from just kissing her. She snuck her hand under his shirt and slipped her fingers just under the waist band of his jeans.

"I need you naked." She murmured when he broke away from her lips for a moment. He lifted his arms and she pushed the black t-shirt over his head and let it fall to her bedroom floor. He copied the action with the hoodie she was wearing and the thin t shirt underneath it. She wore an exquisite blood red bra that accented her perfect breasts.

He bent down and kissed the full half-moons of her breasts before returning to her lips. She was already panting hard while she frantically worked his jeans open. She pulled the belt free of the loops and immediately went to work on the button and zipper. It was more difficult than it should be when her attentions were otherwise diverted. She got the button and zipper undone but he didn't give her any time to push them the rest of the way down. He had picked her up and was carrying her across the room to her bed.

When she was lying down on her bed he quickly divested her of her jeans and blood red thong. She could see tempting skin peeking out from his open jeans, the light trail of hair leading down to his manhood was on full display. She sat up and unhooked her bra for his viewing pleasure before hooking her fingers through the loops of his jeans to pull him closer. Elena snuck her hand inside the jeans and experimentally squeezed him. He groaned and hung his head back.

"Elena..." He moaned.

"What do you need?" She asked.

"You." He answered.

"You've got me, come here." She urged trying to pull him down onto the bed. Before he let himself fall, he quickly took off his jeans. He crawled onto the bed and lay down beside her. She rolled onto her side and leaned in to kiss him.

"Do you want this?" She asked nervously.

"More than you will ever know." He assured her. She smiled and kissed him again. She took his hand and placed it on her breast, needing his touch more than anything.

"Do you want me?" She asked the nervousness appearing again. Instead of answering he took her hand and placed it on his cock.

"That should be answer enough. I'm always hard for you." He told her. She smiled again and kissed him before starting to gently rub his erection up and down. She started slow but quickly picked up the pace. His blue eyes clouded over with lust as they remained fixated on her brown orbs.

"I think I love you." She murmured as she continued to stroke him.

"Oh God, I love you." He hissed. After a couple more strokes he stilled her hand. "Stop! You have to stop." He demanded. She pulled her hand away and moved it around his neck pulling him on top of her.

"Make love to me." She breathed. She hissed when she felt his tip nudge her clit. "Please." He reared back and pushed his tip inside. Her breath caught in her throat when he eased the rest of the way inside her, overwhelmed with the feeling of rightness she gripped him harder.

"So tight." He whispered when he was fully embedded inside her.

"I think you were made for me." She sighed. He breathed his agreement to that statement as he started thrusting deeper inside of her. He went slow, but his movements went so deep that he nudged her G-spot on every thrust causing her to see stars.

"So good. Fuck." Elena moaned. She pulled her knees up to give him more space between her thighs, unknowingly changing the angle slightly causing her to gasp. She ran her hands down his back and back up, roaming down his chest as he made love to her. She kept his crystalline blue gaze locked on hers the entire time. It made the connection even more real. She moved her pelvis along with his movements trying to keep up. He silenced her moans and mewls of pleasure with a deep kiss. She tangled her hands in his hair trying to anchor his mouth to hers.

"I'm so close." She pleaded, feeling the onset of her orgasm. She raised her hips against his more frantically as the need for orgasm became more and more acute. She came moments later with a keening cry of his name, her eyes squeezed shut as she trembled under him. Her orgasm signalled his and he came inside her with a long cry of her name. She shut her eyes as she recovered, he rolled off of her and positioned himself behind her. He pressed soft kisses to her shoulder as she recovered.

"Thank you, I really needed that." She said breathlessly.

"You're welcome, I think we both really needed that." He brushed it off.

"Not only for that, you saved Christmas for me as well." She told him rolling over so she was facing him.

"It's only fitting, you've saved me too many times to count." He murmured pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose.

"Let's just get some sleep. Tomorrow I have to deal with the aftermath of skipping Caroline's party." Elena said dreading the event immensely.

"I'll protect you." Damon whispered pressing a goodnight kiss to her forehead.


End file.
